Hospital bed



Nov. 16, 1965 w. R. BL-ACK -ETAL HOSPITAL BED 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 4, 1965 INVENTORS Bladli 3Q Roberi'L.Knqpp M W H. kw 2 WITNESSATTORNEY nVa/vu/ S 722010722449 Nov. 16, 1965 w. R. BLACK ETAL HOSPITALBED 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Warren R. .Blali 0" Roberi' L .Kzzapp BYW J3vaJQQ-QJ6 WITNESS ATTORNEY JIM/L @wwm Nov. 16, 1965 w. R. BLACK ETAL3,217,339

HOSPITAL BED Filed March 4, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Bavren12.131116]: 2 Robez'l- L .Knap a WITNESS BY a/m wmq/u.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Filed Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,580Claims. (Cl. 5-63) The present invention relates to Hospital Beds andmore particularly to motorized beds having mechanism for automaticallyraising and lowering the bed and for separately raising and lowering thehead and knee sections of the bed.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide improved mechanismfor raising and lowering a hospital bed supported on four telescopingpedestals which are extended or contracted by means of cables which aretaken up for raising the bed and payed out for lowering the bed, and toprovide such pedestals, cables and sheaves for directing the cableswhich are identical in form thus lowering the cost of the bed; toprovide such a mechanism in which the four supporting pedestals operatein perfect unison; to provide improved mechanisms for raising andlowering the head and knee sections of the bed; and in general toprovide such a motorized hospital bed which is quiet and efiicient inoperation, simple, sturdy and economical in construction, and attractivein appearance.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a hospital bed, without mattress, andwith certain parts thereof shown fragmentarily;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of parts of the actuatingmechanism of the bed;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the parts shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of parts of the bed withcertain operating parts thereof illustrated in different positions;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of partsof the operatingmechanism as viewed from line 6-6 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of parts of the bed,taken on line 77 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is a further enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on line88 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of other parts of thebed, taken on line 9--9 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of certain operating partsshown in a modified form; and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the modificationshown in FIGURE 10.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, the bed generally comprises arectangular bed frame 10 constructed of angle iron or the like andsupported by four pedestals 11 near the four corners of the bed frame,the pedestals having casters 12 at their lower ends. A headboard 13 andfootboard 14 are mounted at the opposite ends of the frame 10, thesebeing shown fragmentarily in FIG- URES 1 and 2. Upstanding side plates15 secured as by welding to the opposite sides of the bed frame 10,support a seat spring section 16 of the bed. A head spring section 17has its front end pivotally connected at 18 to the side plates 15, thusbeing associated with the seat spring section 16 swingably about ahorizontal axis. The knee assembly of the bed spring comprises a thighspring section 19 and a foot spring section 20 which are pivotallyconnected together at 21, and the thigh spring section 19 has its rearend pivotally connected at 22 to the side plates 15, thus beingassociated with the seat spring section 16 swingably about a horizontalaxis.

n F I C6 When the several spring sections 20, 19, 16 and 17 are in theirpositions of horizontal alignment as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the headsection 17 is supported by a pair of arms 23 pivotally mounted at 24 onopposite sides of the bed frame 10 and connected by a rod 25. Springs 26normally urge the arms 23 to upright positions. The thigh section 19 issupported by arms 27 pivotally mounted at 28 on opposite sides of thebed frame and connected by a rod 29. Springs 30 normally urge these arms27 to upright positions. The foot section 20 is supported in horizontalposition by bars 31 pivotally mounted at 32 on opposite sides of thefoot section and connected by a rod 33, the lower ends of which bars 31have series of notches 34 engageable with pins 35 on the bed frame tosupport the foot section 20 in a number of turned positions includinghorizontal.

The power actuator for articulating the various spring sections of thebed and for raising and lowering the bed is not shown nor describedherein in great detail inasmuch as it is not being claimed per seherein. This actuator is mounted on the bed frame 10 by means of spacedbars 36, 37 which span the bed frame 10 from side to side and aresecured to the frame as by means of bolts 38, and other spaced bars 39,40 which extend forwardlyrearwardly between the bars 36, 37 and aresecured thereto as by means of bolts 41. A single motor 42 is mounted ona bracket 43 dependingly secured to bars 39, 40. This motor drivesmechanism within a housing generally designated 44, which mechanism isnot shown except that three pinions 45, 46, and 47 inside the housing 44are illustrated in dotted lines in FIGURE 3, and it will be understoodthat other mechanism within the housing may be remotely controlled sothat any one of the three pinions 45, 46 and 47 can be driven in eitherdirection by the motor 42. These pinions in turn mesh with three racks48, 49 and 50 which pass through the housing, for driving any one of theracks either forwardly or rearwardly. Remote control means (not shown)may be provided for selecting the rack to be moved and the direction ofits movement.

The head spring section 17 has a crossbar 51 of metal tubing which spansthis section from side to side near the front end thereof. The body ofthe crossbar 51 is disposed well below the head spring section and theends of the crossbar 51 at opposite sides of the bed are turned upwardlyat 52 and thence rearwardly at 53, the portions at 53 being welded tothe sides of the head spring section 17. A crank arm 54 is rigidlysecured as by welding to the crossbar 51 near the center of the crossbarand depending therefrom. The lower end of the crank arm 54 has a slot 55through which passes a pin 56 on the rearward end of the rack 48. Itwill readily be seen that, by this arrangement, as the rack 48 is drivenrearwardly by pinion 45, the head spring section 17 of the bed will beelevated to a position of rearward-upward inclination as indicated bydot'and dash lines in FIGURE 5, and that when rack 48 is again movedforwardly this head section 17 may be lowered again to horizontalposition resting on arms 23.

The thigh spring section 19 has a crossbar 57 of metal tubing whichspans this section from side to side near the rear end thereof. The bodyof the crossbar 57 is disposed well below the thigh spring section andthe ends of this crossbar 57 at opposite sides of the bed are turnedupwardly at 58 and thence forwardly at 59, the portions at 59 beingwelded to the sides of the thigh spring section 19. A crank arm 60 isrigidly secured as by welding to the crossbar 57 near the center of thiscross bar and depending therefrom. The lower end of the crank arm 60 hasa slot 61 through which passes a spin 62 on the rearward end of therac'k 50. It will readily be seen that, by this arrangement, as the rack50 is driven forwardly by pinion 47, the thigh spring section will beelevated to a position of forward-upward inclination as also indicatedby dot and dash lines in FIGURE 5, and that the foot spring section 20will be carried by the thigh spring section to an elevated position offorward-downward inclination (not shown). When the rack 50 is againmoved rearwardly, the thigh and foot spring sections which comprise theknee assembly will again be lowered.

A seen in FIGURE 9, the housing 44 which is mounted on the bed frame hasa slot 63 therethrough which is so formed as to permit limited swingingmovement of the rack 50 relative to the pinion 47 during itsforward-rearward reciprocating movements, and a spring 64 presses therack 50 into mesh with pinion 47. Rack 48 is mounted in an identicalmanner at the other side of the housmg.

When it is desired to lower the head section 17 of the bed to a positionof rearward-downward inclination, as is done in the Trendelenburgtreatment position, arms 23 are manually pushed forwardly-downwardly, asindicated by double-dot and dash lines in FIGURE 5. This will permit thehead section 17 to be lowered to its position of rearward-downwardinclination which is also indicated by double-dot and dash lines inFIGURE 5. The slot 55 in crank arm 54 permits this lowering of the headsection.

When it is desired to lower the knee assembly of the bed to a positionof forward-downward inclination, as is done in the Reverse Trendelenburgtreatment position, arms 27 are manually pushed rearwardly-downwardly,as also indicated by double-dot and dash lines in FIG- URE 5. This willpermit the thigh section 19 to be lowered, and at the same timeadjustment of the foot section 20 to align it with the thigh section ismade by adjusting the notched bars 31 on the pins 35. Slot 61 in crankarm 60 permits lowering movement of the thigh section.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the bed will now be described. Asbest seen in FIGURES 3, 7 and 8, each of the four supporting pedestals11 comprises a tubular metal floor-supported post 65 on the lower end ofwhich a caster 12 is mounted, and a cast metal sleeve bracket 66 securedto the bed frame by bolts 67 and having a depending sleeve 68telescoping with the post 65 for vertical movement thereon. The bedframe is thus mounted on the four posts 65 for raising and loweringmovement.

Near the lower ends of the four sleeves 68 there are mounted fourlaterally inwardly facing sleeve sheaves 69 which are rotatable abouthorizontal axes. Four frame sheaves 70 are mounted on brackets 71secured by bolts 72 to the cross-bars 36 and 36a of the bed frame. Theseframe sheaves 70 are rotatable about upwardly extending, slightly cantedaxes. An elongated bar is mounted on the bed frame in the longitudinalcenter thereof for longitudinal reciprocation thereon. This elongatedbar comprises the middle rack bar 49 which is reciprocated by the pinion46 of the actuator mechanism, and an extension rod 73 which is connectedat 74 to the rearward end of the rack bar 49. This elongated barterminates at its opposite ends short distances in the same direction,and as shown toward the foot of the bed, from the pairs of frame sheaves70 at opposite ends of the bed. A cable-attachment crosshead is mountedat each end of the elongated bar.

Four identical cables 76 are provided, a pair of these being connectedto each of the crossheads 75. Each cable 76 passes around the adjacentframe sheave 70 and thence downwardly-outwardly (see FIGURE 7), and thenaround the adjacent sleeve sheave 60 and thence upwardly through anopening 77 in the sleeve 68 (see FIGURE 8), and the upper end of eachcable 76 is final- 1y secured to the upper e d of the adjacentfloor-supported post 65.

It will readily be seen that when the elongated bar, 49 and 73, is movedtoward the foot of the bed as indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, allfour of the cables 76 will be simultaneously taken up thus to move thefour sleeves 68, in unison, upwardly on the posts thus to raise the bed.When the elongated bar is again moved toward the head of the bed, thecables 76 will be simultaneously paid out thus permitting the bed todescend. Upward and downward movement of the sleeves 68 on the posts 65is guided by a key 78 on each post 65 extending into a keyway 79 in thesleeve 68 mounted thereon. It will be noted that movement of theelongated bar, 49 and 73, is entirely within the confines of the bedframe so that no moving parts extend beyond the bed frame to constitutea hazard.

In the modification of the invention shown in FIG- URES 10 and 11, adifferent and entirely independent actuator mechanism is illustrated foruse in taking up and paying out the four cables 76, while thearrangement of the cables around the sheaves and to the telescopingpedestals would remain the same as that previously described. In theseviews, the angle bar and the metal tube 101 are transverse elements ofthe bed frame. The elongated bar comprises a tubular bar-section 102longitudinally slidably mounted in bearings 103 and 104 set in brackets105, 106 secured to the angle bar 100 and the tube 101 respectively, anda second tubular bar-section 107 secured to the rearward end of thebar-section 102 by means of a bolt 108. The cableattachment crossheads109 at opposite ends of the elongated bar are similar to the cross-heads75 previously described.

A screw 110 has its opposite ends journalled in bearings 111 and 112mounted in the angle bar 100 and the tube 101 respectively. A reversiblegear-motor 113 is mounted on the angle bar 100 and is operativelyconnected to the screw 110 for turning the screw in either direction. Anut 114 is mounted on the screw in threaded engagement therewith and issecured by screws 115 to the upstanding arms 116 of a yoke 117 which issecured as by welding to the bar-section 102.

It will readily be seen that as the screw 110 is turned by thegear-motor 113 in one direction or the other, the nut 114 will be movedlongitudinally in one direction or the other and will impart thislongitudinal movement to the elongated bar by reason of the rigidconnection of said bar to the nut. The cables 76 will thus be taken upfor raising the bed or paid out for lowering the bed.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a motorized hospitalbed in which the various operating parts have been minimized in numberand standardized in form, thus providing a highly eflicient bed atminimum cost, and while but two specific embodiments of the inventionhave been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerousdetails thereof may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a hospital bed: a rectangular bed frame; four supporting pedestalsfor the bed frame near the four corners thereof, said pedestals eachcomprising telescoping members capable of being extended to raise thebed frame or contracted to lower said frame and consisting offloor-supported posts and sleeves secured to the bed frame andtelescoping with said posts; means for extending said pedestalsincluding cables having their one ends connected to the posts of saidpedestals and passing around sheaves which direct the cables laterallyinwardly to points near the longitudinal center of the bed frame andthence longitudinally toward one end of the bed; an elongated barmounted on the bed frame in the approximate longitudinal center thereoffor longitudinal reciprocation thereon, said bar having connected to itsopposite ends the other ends of the pairs of cables at opposite ends ofthe bed; and mean for reciprocating said bar.

2. A hospital bed according to claim 1 in which the reciprocating barremains at all times within the confines of said bed frame.

3 In a hospital bed: a rectangular bed frame; four supporting pedestalsfor the bed frame near the four corners thereof, each pedestalcomprising a floor-supported post and a sleeve secured to and dependingfrom the bed frame and telescoping with said post whereby the bed frameis mounted for raising and lowering movement; four sleeve sheavesmounted on the lower ends of said sleeves and facing laterally inwardlyand rotatable about horizontal axes; four frame sheaves mounted on thebed frame in pairs near opposite ends of said frame and near thelongitudinal center of said frame, said frame sheaves being rotatableabout upwardly extending axes; an elongated bar mounted on the bed framein the longitudinal center thereof for longitudinal reciprocationthereon, said bar terminating at its opposite ends short distances inthe same direction from said pairs of frame sheaves respectively; a pairof cables connected to each end of said bar, each cable passing aroundthe adjacent frame sheave, then around the adjacent sleeve sheave, andthen upwardly and having its other end secured to the upper end of theadjacent post whereby longitudinal movement of said bar raises or lowerssaid bed frame with the sleeves moving up or down in unison; and meansfor reciprocating said bar.

4. In a hospital bed: a rectangular bed frame; four supporting pedestalsfor the bed frame near the four corners thereof, said pedestals eachcomprising telescoping members capable of being extended to raise thebed frame or contracted to lower said frame; means for extending saidpedestals including cables having their one ends connected to saidpedestals and passing around sheaves which direct the cables laternallyinwardly to points near the longitudinal center of the bed frame andthence longitudinally toward one end of the bed; an elongated barmounted on the bed frame in the approximate longitudinal center thereoffor longitudinal reciprocation thereon, said bar having connected to itsopposite ends the other ends of the pairs of cables at opposite ends ofthe bed; and means for reciprocating said bar and comprising a rack onthe bar, a pinion mounted on the bed frame in mesh with said rack, andmeans for rotating said pinion in either direction.

5. In a hospital bed: a rectangular bed frame; four supporting pedestalsfor the bed frame near the four corners thereof, said pedestals eachcomprising telescoping members capable of being extended to raise thebed frame or contracted to lower said frame; means for extending saidpedestals including cables having their one ends connected to saidpedestals and passing around sheaves which direct the cables laterallyinwardly to points near the longitudinal center of the bed frame andthence longitudinally toward one end of the bed; an elongated barmounted on the bed frame in the approximate longitudinal center thereoffor longitudinal reciprocation thereon, said bar having connected to itsopposite ends the other ends of the pairs of cables at opposite ends ofthe bed; and means for reciprocating said bar, said last-mentioned meanscomprising a nut rigidly associated with said bar and a screw mounted onthe bed frame and passing through said nut, the axes of said screw andnut being parallel to said bar, and means for rotating said screw ineither direction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,523,076 9/1950Sweetland 563 2.556.591 6/1951 Loxley 567 2,592,166 4/1952 McLean et al.563 2,807,808 10/1957 Wetzler 563 2,872,688 2/1959 Reichert et al. 5--632,913,300 11/1959 Darnell et al. 563 2,956,289 10/1960 Sullivan 567FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A HOSPITAL BED: A RECTANGULAR BED FRAME; FOUR SUPPORTING PEDESTALSFOR THE BED FRAME NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS THEREOF, SAID PEDESTALS EACHCOMPRISING TELESCOPING MEMBERS CAPABLE OF BEING EXTENDED TO RAISE THEBED FRAME OR CONTRACTED TO LOWER SAID FRAME AND CONSISTING OFFLOOR-SUPPORTED POSTS AND SLEEVES SECURED TO THE BED FRAME ANDTELESCOPING WITH SAID POSTS; MEANS FOR EXTENDING SAID PEDESTALSINCLUDING CABLES HAVING THEIR ONE ENDS CONNECTED TO THE POSTS OF SAIDPEDESTALS AND PASSING AROUND SHEAVES WHICH DIRECT THE CABLES LATERALLYINWARDLY TO POINTS NEAR THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER TO THE BED FRAME ANDTHENCE LONGITUDINALLY TOWARD ONE END OF THE BED; AN ELONGATED BARMOUNTED ON THE BED FRAME IN TH APPROXIMATE LONGITUDINAL CENTER THEREOFFOR LONGITUDINAL RECIPROCATION THEREON, SAID BAR HAVING CONNECTED TO ITSOPPOSITE ENDS THE OTHER ENDS OF THE PAIRS OF CABLES AT OPPOSITE ENDS OFTHE BED; AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID BAR.